Coal-separator.



M. H. MQTURK. GOAL SBPARATOR.

APPLIUATION FILED AUG. so, 1910.

1,014,080. Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

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1f/m MM( MORTON H. MGTURK, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

COAL-SEPARATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

Application filed August 30, 1910. Serial No. 579,727.

To aZZ whom 'it may concerm.

Be it known that I, MoR'roN I-I. MCTURK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and yuseful Improvement in Coal-Separators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to` the accompanymg drawings, which form water in which a current is kept up about a vertical axis, producing a separation of the coal from the heavier ingredients, and delivering the coal and the separated material into different bins.

rI `he preferred embodiment of an apparatus embodying my invention will be more readily understood from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a sectional elevation of the apparatus, and Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view on the lines 22 of Fig. 1.

A hopper a leads through a chute Z7 toa circular tank c. Midway of its height this tank contains a division or diaphragm in the form of a circular` helical runway cZ, having an inwardly and upwardly extending iare e terminating in a central chute or hopper Vanes or paddles g attached to a central vertical shaft Zz, are caused to rotate by applying power to a pulley i. The helical runway d makes almost a complete circle and termina-tesin an opening j leading by a chute 7e directly into a boot or pocket Z, into which dips one end of a conveyer m. The central hopper f opens at its bottom into a similar boot n into. which dips one end of a conveyer 0. These conveyers m and o extend in an inclined direction up closed inclined passages fr and s merging at their lower ends into the boots Z and n respectively. The tank, the boots and conveyer passages, the hopper f, the chute lo and thelower part of the chute b, which are intercommunicating as described, are all filled with water as shown in Fig. l.

The operation is as follows: The mixture of coal, slate, etc., is fed into the hopper a, and deposited under water at the head of the helical runway eZ. The vanes g are made to rotate in the vdirection shown by thearrow, at a speed sufficient to keep a current of water constantly flowing in that direction around the interior of the tank, but not suf- I ficient to produce churning. The combined action of this current of water, withthe pitch of the helical runway d, maintains a steady flow of coal mixture around the runway. The tendency of both the coal and slate is to go toward the center, but the upwardly and inwardly extending iiare e offers too much resistance for the slate, which which is of higher specific gravity, to pass over to the central opening, but does not offer suicient resistance to prevent the coal from so passing over. The operation, therefore, is that the coal, in the course of the passage of the mixture around the runway, discharges itself from the heavier matter and falls through the central hopper f into the boot n, while the heavier constituent is carried around to the end of the runway oZ and is delivered through the opening y' into the boot Z. As fast as the coal is delivered into the boot fn., the conveyer o carries it up out of the boot n and deposits it in a coal bin on one side of the divisional wall p, while the conveyer m carriesthe separated impurities up out of the boot Z and deposits them'separately from the coal on the other side of the divisional wall.

In the practical employment and operation of the invention, I find that with a tank four and one-half feet in diameter, and with an apparatus constructed on substantially the scale shown in the drawings, the' apparatus will work eiiciently if the shaft together L be 'rotated at about minute. The feed of coal is preferably continuous, and itwill, of' the tank as rapidly as the rotating current of water will carry it around and separate it.

be separated The amount of coal that will under the foregoing conditions will be about eight or ten tons per hour. The foregoing data, however, is merely given as an example of working conditions, and it will be understood that thel invention is vnot limited to any particular working conditions.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect byv Letters Patent is:

l. In a solids separator, the combination with a runway having an unobstructed inner edge and having an upper face extending upward-and inward toward a` central opening, of means to maintain above the runway a current of water in a direction corresponding to the downward lengthwiseslant of the runway.

2. In a solids separator, the combination with a helical runway having an unobstructed inner edge and a part of whose upper face extends inward and upward, there being a centrally disposed outlet communicating with the inner higher rim of the runway, anda peripherally disposed outlet communicating with the lower end of the runway, and means to maintain 'a constant circular current of water above said runway in a direction corresponding to the downward lengthwise slant of the runway.

3. In a solids separator, the combination y with a tank adapted to contain water and to receive the solids to be separated, of a runway, extending around the inner wall thereof, whose inner edge is at a substantially higher elevation than its outer edge at any transverse section substantially throughout the length of the runway,- and means to maintain above the runway a current of water in a direction corresponding to the downward slant of the runway.

v 4. In a solids separator, with a tank, of a helical runway extending around the inner-wall thereof, having an unobstructed inner edge andl having an upper face extending upward and inward toward a central opening, therebeing a second opening at the lower end of the runway, and means to maintain a constant circular current of water above the runway in a direction corresponding to the downward lengthwise slant of the runway.

5. In a solids se arator, the combination with a tank adapted) to contain waterand to receive t-he solids to be separated, of a runway, extending around the innerwall thereof, having an unobstructed inner edgeand having an upper face inclined upward to- 24 revolutions per' course, be fed into' the combination ward said edge, and means to maintain above therunway direction corresponding to the downward lengthwise slant of the runway.

46. In a solids separator, the combination with a tank, of a helical runway extending around the inner wall thereof, the outer part of the runway being, at different transverse sections thereof, substantially level while the inner part thereof extends upward and inward, and means to maintain above the runway a constant circular current of water .in' a direction corresponding to the down,

ward lengthwise slant of the runway, there being a central discharge opening within the inner rim of the runway and a discharge opening at the lower end of the outer sectlon of the runway.

7. In a solids separator, the combination a clrcular current of water ar with a tank adapted to receive the solids to be separated, of a helical runway in said tank having an inwardly and upwardly extending tlared portion, trally disposed outlet for the lighter ingredients and an outlet at the lower end of said runway for the heavier for producing a circular flow of the water in the tank -above the runway, and means for separately raising above the water; level "the heavier and the lighter ingredients discharged from said runway respectively into said outlets.

8. In a solids separator, the combination with a tank, to receive the solids to be sepathere being av ceningredients, means rated, a. hellcal runway extending around 1 the inner wall of the tank, boots communicating respectively with 'the central space within'the inner rim of the runway and with the lower end of the runway, inclined conveyer passages communicating respectively with said boots, and conveyers in said passages, the said intercommunicating tank, boots and conveyer passages adapted to contain water the upper level of which is subi stantially above the runway, and revoluble vanes above the runway.

9. In a solids separator, the combination with a tank to receive the solids to be separated, of a helical runway extending around the inner wall of the tank, thek lnner part of said runway extending upward toward its inner rim, revoluble vanes in the tank above runway,`a pocket for the lighter constituents connected with the Aspace within the inner rim of the runway, a pocket for the heavier constituents connected with lower end of the outer part of the runway, the said tank and pockets adapted to contain water submerging the runway and vanes, and means to convey thel constituents delivered to said pockets above the level of the vanes.

10. In a solids separator, the combination with a tank adapted to contain water, of Way being unobstructed and communicating 10 means to receive the lighter ingredients 10- with the rst receiving means.

cated centrally of the tank, means to receive In testimony of Which invention, I have the heavier ingredients located at the inner hereunto set my hand, at Stockbridge, on Wall of the tank,'and'a runway, extending, this 25 day of August, 1910.

from a point substantially above the second MORTON H. MOTURK. receiving means, spirally around the inner Witnesses: Wall of the tank to the mouth of the second FRED. W. BROWN,

receiving means, the inner edge of said run- OSCAR B. JARVIS. 

